What made you want to be a nurse?

KiusLady, ASN, RN · Jan 13, 2017

Disclaimer: I'm not a nurse, a baby nurse, or even a "fetal" nurse (as in I'm not even in nursing school yet, but I've taken my pre-req's and will be slamming through gen-eds this spring and summer. I'll know in a couple months if I made it into the nursing program, which will start this fall).

That all being said: Nursing certainly wasn't my first profession of choice. So much to know, so much responsibility, so scary. Paired with my general dislike for our grand medical establishment (doctors who don't listen, policies that seem to defy common sense when it comes to patient care, chronic unsafe staffing ratios, etc, etc).

Despite all that, I've been drawn to the healing arts for a very long time. I like helping people.

I've been a doula for about ten years now and the two times in my professional career that I've been between jobs, I've always come really close to getting schooling in some medical care field; but I've always gotten a job again in my first field of study before getting too far.

Working as an in-home caregiver between jobs five years ago taught me a lot and I absolutely loved the work (even the icky parts). Caring for my rapidly-ailing father-in-law in the last month he was able to live at home two years ago also opened my eyes that I might just have it in me to pull off being a nurse. I was alone for most of that and had to deal with a couple non-life-threatening emergencies that - though certainly not fun - proved to me I had the resolve to handle such situations.

Despite all that, it wasn't till I was knocked down with a debilitating illness early last year that I *finally* decided to seriously pursue nursing. I had a lot of downtime while recovering, so (because I soooo can't sit at home doing nothing) I applied to a local community college, got accepted and am currently barreling my way towards getting my Associate degree.

The thought of being a nurse is still utterly terrifying (perhaps more so now that I'm gaining a little more knowledge as to just what I'm getting into), but that's a common feeling from what I've read. I want to do it. I want to help people. We'll see how it goes!!

Good luck in your journey as well!

MikeyT-c-IV · Jan 13, 2017

My oldest son died of cancer at the age of 13 and I needed a way to carry everything that happened to us through that journey and to feel as if all that pain and suffering we went through was not for nothing.

We share a similar experience. My wife and I lost a son to AML in 2001 and started pre-reqs a few months later.

I had worked in hospitals for several years but never really understood what a nurse does. After observing multiple disciplines over the course of a year in the hospital I developed admiration for nursing. It looked like something I could do so my wife and I both jumped in and did it.

We considered numerous factors mentioned by previous posters, as well. Those being flexibility, portability, decent income, and the opportunity to work in different areas. We both came from fairly poor/uneducated families. I feel blessed that we've had the opportunity to earn our degrees. I'll finish my MSN next year.

djh123 · Jan 13, 2017

"A Momentary Lapse of Reason", to use Pink Floyd's album title. :^)

No, seriously ... it was due to both of my parents being on hospice (not at the same time), my brother's death from cancer, my own cancer (yeah, I'm a survivor, thankfully - very thankfully), and wanting to do something different, and make a difference (compared to my first career).

lavenderskies, BSN · Jan 15, 2017

1. Flexibility (both educational paths and areas of specialization)

2. The ability to move pretty much anywhere and be able to find work.

3. The fact that if I became bored with a specific job there would be many other ways to use my degree.

4. It's a good mix of using brains (they call this critical thinking now) and hands on "tasky" work.

5. I enjoy helping make others more comfortable.